Türkiye is solidifying its position as a powerhouse in the television industry, with The Economist reporting it as the third-largest exporter of TV series globally. Between 2020 and 2023, the demand for Turkish series surged by 184%, highlighting their growing popularity worldwide. Notably, Türkiye’s television exports reached $600 million in 2022, with forecasts suggesting even more substantial figures shortly.
The top three importers of the new Turkish series were Spain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Also according to television data company Glance, in the first half of 2023, the top three productions in Spain were Turkish series.
The Economist’s article notes that in Türkiye, series airing weekly with episodes lasting up to three hours are divided into shorter episodes in other countries and aired for longer periods.
Series aired in other countries are generally dubbed. The use of Spanish dubbing in Spain and many Latin American countries provides convenience for viewers. Subtitles are preferred for languages such as Polish or Greek. Viewers can even start learning Turkish and do not have to wait for dubbed broadcasts.
According to The Economist, stunning landscapes, luxurious costumes, and beautiful and handsome performances make the Turkish series attractive.
‘For My Family’ goes to Portugal
The series “Kardeşlerim,” (“For My Family”) distributed by ATV Distribution and sold to more than 90 countries, was licensed to Portugal in January. The series holds the distinction of being the first ATV series licensed to Portugal.
Having been sold to many countries around the world and disrupting ratings in the countries where it has been broadcast, “For My Family” will premiere on the SIC channel in Portugal on Feb. 17. The SIC channel will broadcast the successful series every day during Prime Time.
Ministry efforts
Batuhan Mumcu, the deputy minister of Culture and Tourism, stated that the series produced in Türkiye is broadcast in more than 170 countries worldwide, including the U.S., Russia, the Far East and Latin America, reaching approximately 750 million people.
Mumcu visited the European Film Market (EFM) within the scope of the 74th International Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) continuing in the capital city of Germany, Berlin, where the Turkish pavilion is also located.
Mumcu emphasized that Berlinale and the European Film Market are one of the most important cinema events in the world.
Emphasizing the importance of participating in this organization, which is followed by the whole world and brings together thousands of sector representatives, and successfully representing Turkish cinema, Mumcu said: “We had previously won many awards, including the Golden Bear, the major award at the Berlinale. Ministry-supported cinema films participate in the world’s most important international film festivals such as Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto and Tokyo, contributing to the promotion of Turkish cinema and our country. We attach great importance to this and continue our support for both film production and international representation.”
Mumcu stated that they present Turkish films to the foreign sector representatives at the Türkiye pavilion opened at the festival, and said: “We host joint production and other cooperation negotiations of our filmmakers. These negotiations are crucial for the development of new joint productions and cooperation opportunities. Also, the foreign sales of our films take place here, which is very important for us.”
Stating that the series also contributes significantly to Türkiye’s recognition worldwide, Mumcu said: “Therefore, we are carrying out important works in cooperation with our industry, which has such a great impact. We support the opening of country pavilions at events such as MIPCOM, MIPTV, ATF Singapore, Content America, and Dubai Series and Content Fair, which are among the world’s most important series and content fairs, and present our series to the whole world.”
Boosting cinema industry
Mumcu shared that they have started work on organizing a fair in Türkiye in the field of series content, considering the country as one of the leading countries in the field of series content.
Reiterating that cinemas had to close their doors for a long time during the COVID-19, and there was a significant decrease in the number of viewers both in Türkiye and globally, Mumcu said: “During this period, we provided support of TL 32 million (more than $1 million) to cinema halls to continue their activities. In addition to this, we reduced the ‘Entertainment Tax’ rate to 0% in cooperation with our Ministry of Treasury and Finance.”
Mumcu also drew attention to a legislative change made to increase the number of cinema viewers and said that they introduced two new discounted ticket types, saying: “We opened the way for private institutions to buy discounted tickets. We believe that this regulation will significantly contribute to the number of viewers in 2024. Our cinema sector has started this year very well. As of February 2024, the number of viewers increased by 34% compared to the same period last year. We predict that we will exceed 40 million viewers with a 30% increase compared to the previous year in 2024.”
Deputy Minister Mumcu also mentioned the efforts regarding the filming of foreign film productions in Türkiye within the scope of Berlinale, emphasizing that Türkiye has a natural plateau feature with its rich history and natural beauties.
Pointing out that many important productions with world stars such as Guy Ritchie, Jason Statham, Hugh Grant, Josh Hartnett, Henry Cavill and Salman Khan were filmed in Türkiye, Mumcu said: “Many Hollywood productions want to shoot in our country. I am sure we will host numerous productions in Türkiye in the coming period.”
